Of Lockets and Scrabble
by ShIvErInG sMiLe
Summary: This is the moment when Lily will finally realize what a loser she is married to and will demand divorce immediately. It’s not like I wasn’t expecting it. It was bound to happen sooner or later but I was sort of hoping it could be later.


For my wonderful beta Colon from Perfect Imagination and my patient and unkown receiper, who was suppoused to get this last Christmas. I don't have any excuses, I only have a story.

It contains spoilers for DH but only mildly.

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**Of lockets and scrabble**

Just two weeks. That's how long Lily and I have been married, two weeks. It feels a lot longer, let me tell you. This was going to be our home from now on. It's weird to think of this London flat as "home". It seems so cold, with its white walls and leather furniture but Lily says we will make it homey. She's romantic like that, you know?

All the boxes were already here. We had decided to bring them in before the wedding so we wouldn't have to spend our first day after the honeymoon packing boxes. Of course, we'd still be spending almost all the day unpacking them but I didn't think my bride-to-be at that moment wanted to hear anything logical from me.

I opened the door but before she could enter, I swept her off her feet, quite literally. I picked that up from a Muggle movie Lily's mum was watching. She'd told me it was awfully romantic. Thank goodness Lily was slender otherwise it would have been awfully heavy instead.

Lily laughed, kissed my forehead and whispered.

"You're crazy, Potter."

"Oh, but you love me like that," I said, pulling her closer.

"Could you be any cheesier, Mr. Potter?"

"For you, Mrs. Potter? Always."

We were kissing when Lily stood up all the sudden, very much to my displeasure.

"I have a gift for you," she said

I immediately stopped pouting.

"A gift? Is it small? Is it shinny? Is it Quidditch related?"

Lily patted my head and threw a cookie at my mouth. I didn't find this amusing.

"I don't find this amusing, you know?"

She just laughed and shook her head.

"You sounded like an overexcited puppy. I couldn't resist."

"Alright, I'll stop with the canine attitude if you give me my present. "

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, go entertain yourself while I prepare dinner."

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Erm…don't take this the wrong way but I'd rather not burn the house down on our first night. Why don't you go look for the plates' box?"

"But...my gift..."

"Get me the plates Potter, or you can forget dessert!"

I knew better than to protest. I knew that look; I'd seen that look for nine years. She wasn't kidding. She was capable of depriving me of delicious German chocolate cake... the witch. Why did I put up with that nonsense? Oh, that little detail about loving her, right.

I was going through the boxes, those boxes which Lily had tagged, packed and organized to make the unpacking process much more entertaining. At least that's what she told me when I asked why we couldn't just get everything in garbage bags. Too bad her husband wasn't as attached to tags and organization as her.

Clothes and bathroom supplies, parchment and mismatched shoes. Everything was mixed at the centre of the room.

No more than thirty minutes had passed and I had already forgotten the point of my assignment. By this time, I was immersed in the search of my secret gift.

After a while, I was starting to feel disappointed. Perhaps Lily had made up "the gift" to distract me from our snogging session.

I was about to go to pester my wife in revenge when I caught a glimpse of something at the bottom of the box. It appeared to be some kind of jewellery. Something… golden?

Amazing. Lily had bought me the autographed snitch from the captain of the Irish team. I was thrilled and desperate to show it to the guys. Oh, Sirius would be so jealous!

I leant over the box to reach my beloved present but the sodding box was truly enormous and I almost had to get inside of it to get the snitch. I was finally able to take it but my expression was less triumphal and a bit more

"What in name of...?"

Something like that.

It was a locket. A golden locket with a letter "L" on it. So, I figured this wasn't the present. This must belong to Lily then. Strange, I'd never seen her wearing it.

I was intending on asking her about the object so I turned….and tripped. I forgot that I was _inside _a box, great. I fell but the sound was muffled by the rags and pillows I felt over. Too bad the locket wasn't as lucky.

It barely made a sound, though. It just slipped from my fingers and felt with a "crack". That was all it took to be broken in half. I pointed my wand and whispered "_Reparo!" _but the pieces didn't even moved. I tried several incantations until one of them almost burnt my finger.

"What's going on, James?"

I guess I shouldn't have sworn so loudly.

"Oh Lily, love of my life, mother of my future gorgeous Quidditch-star children, can you come for a tiny second?"

Even though I was in a different room, I could hear Lily sighing. She couldn't possibly have an idea of what happened, could she? I mean, it's not like I'm so predictable.

"What have you broken this time, James?"

Alright, so I am a bit predictable. But that's only because Lily knows me too well. I tell you, it's eerie sometimes. If it weren't for the fact that she has repeatedly told me that she doesn't buy that crap about the Inner Eye and reading tea leaves, I'd guess she's a Seer. But I digress.

I tried to play a "what are you talking about" face but I could tell she wasn't falling for it so I decided to play the flattery card.

"Erm…you look breathtaking today, dear wifey!"

Lily didn't say anything, she only raised an eyebrow. Perhaps she didn't think I was telling the truth and I wouldn't blame her for it. I mean, she was wearing a pair of jeans a size too big and an old shirt of mine but, still, she should know beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, or something like that.

"Just tell me what you did this time and I'll try to fix it."

Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence! But I probably shouldn't say anything right now….

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

So my mouth is faster than my mind. Good to know.

I thought that Lily was going to slap me right then but instead, her expression softened and she came near me and held my hands.

"I'm so sorry James, you're right. I shouldn't just assume the worst. That was unfair."

"Erm, Thank you?" I said in a little voice. Who was this woman and where was my Lily?

"You're welcome. So, what is it that you needed to tell me?"

Oh crap, oh crap. I almost forgot the fact that I had in fact screwed up. Oh crap.

"Oh, nothing important really," I said offhandedly.

"But tell me, sweetheart."

Oh God, what was that sugary voice? That woman is truly scaring me. I guess, I should just tell her that truth and benefit from this rare lapse.

"Well, you see, dear…"

"Yes, love?"

"I well, well…do you want to play scrabble?"

"What?"

"Scrabble darling. I think we could do with some scrabble. I know how much you like tiny things and words and letters so scrabble seems like a great choice, don't you think? I thought that maybe that ought to take your mind off that broken locket. So, do you want to start or should I? Ah, so silly of me! Of course you want to start. Ready?"

Lily seems…speechless. Maybe it worked, maybe she forgot, maybe I…

"WHAT?"

…or maybe not

"Scrabble, Lily, remember?"

"Don't you try to confuse me James Potter! What broken locket are you talking about?"

I tried to put on my most sheepish, innocent smile.

"Broken locket, you say?"

"Potter…"

Oh, dear. She just called me Potter. This is bad, BAD I tell you! Let's just say, the last time I was called "Potter", I ended up in St. Mungo's for two weeks. Nothing funny about that little incident, whatever Padfoot tells you.

"Well, I'm really, really sorry Lily. I truly didn't mean to do it. I was just looking trough the boxes when….It was an accident, I swear. It just, snapped like that. I haven't been able to mend it for some reason but maybe you could. God knows you're amazing in charms!"

Yes, yes! That was very good. I sounded innocent yet sorry about it, in case she thinks I'm just making excuses. And some flattery doesn't harm either.

"James, what exactly did you break?"

With a long sigh and sorrow eyes I took the golden locket from my pocket and showed her.

This is it, I know it. This is the moment when Lily will finally realize what a loser she is married to and will demand divorce immediately. It's not like I wasn't expecting it. It was bound to happen sooner or later but I was sort of hoping it could be later or, at least, after a month of being married but, here you go, my stupidity had succeeded in amazing even myself.

I will leave Lily everything in the divorce, of course. It's the least I can do. I'll probably have to flee the country after this. I always wanted to go Cuba…but no! I shouldn't be allowed to have fun again. Russia! That's it! It's deadly cold there, I have neither friends nor any acquaintances and I don't know a single Russian word. I'd have a lousy time over there. Yep, Russia is the place.

Funny thing, though. While I was rambling in my head I haven't heard a single yell from my former-wife-to-be Lily.

I grudgingly lifted my head and what came to sight was an image that I was definitely not expecting. Lily was not only not screaming the life out of me; she wasn't even looking at me. Her eyes were upon the broken locket, and even if I couldn't see her face I knew there was something wrong.

"Lily? Are you alright?"

She looked at me as if only now she'd realized I was in the room and with such a trace of…what was that? Embarrassment?

"Oh, right. Everything is okay."

"What about the locket?" I enquired, quite preoccupied by now.

"Oh, that. Don't worry at all. It was just some silly old thing. Nothing important, really. My mum must have packed that by mistake," she said between nervous giggles.

"Are you, I mean, are you sure?"

Lily tried her best smile, but I could only see a grimace of what she had intended to be a reassuring sign.

"Yes, of course it is. Now, did you find the plates? Because the stew is almost done and I'm rather hungry. Really James, stop looking at me like that. I'm fine. Let's get some dinner shall we?"

Remus often teases me about how many years of obsessing with Evans have made it possible for me to recognize her moods even when I can't see her expression. Except for the fact that I'm not nearly as stalker-ish as Moony paints me, he's right as always and that's why I'm completely sure that my Lily is everything but fine at the moment.

I finally took on Lily's words and follow her to the kitchen. When she looks at me, I remember that I never really found the dishes so I go back to the living room to look for them again. I found them neatly placed on the box next to the one I was going through. I've never loathed crockery more.

The dinner was, in one very accurate word, quiet. Lily smiled to me from time to time but I wasn't feeling very cheery at the moment. All I could do is give her one or two of those smiles I used to pretend as a kid when my old aunts told me how much I'd grown up.

Dinner was over after what felt like a million years. We did the dishes and cleaned up soon enough, sharing a couple more of those strained smiles. Lily was off to a shower so I sat on the sofa to read the Quidditch magazine of this month. Or so I tried.

All I could think of was Lily and her strange reaction. What was that about? Why hadn't she yelled and nagged him as I'd expected but assured me with an overly sugary voice that everything was "just fine" when clearly it wasn't?

Perhaps she was just waiting for the right moment. She was trying to deceive me into this false feeling of security and then BANG! When I least expected it, she'd have my head above the fireplace like a house-elf.

I didn't fancy my head over the fireplace. I'd have to take extreme measures for my protection. Gideon mentioned his brother in law had a fascination for Muggle artefacts. Perhaps he'll know where I can find one of those Winchester rifles Lily's dad is so fond of. He's got a bunch of magazines with pictures of them, probably more than Lily's and Petunia's pictures together. I'd certainly be well protected if I slept with one of those. After all, Lily _is_ a Muggleborn, therefore she has more surprising ways to intimidate me than the average witch, and I'd eat a dragon if she wouldn't use them.

I had stopped pretending reading a while ago when the wife entered the room. She was wearing a bath rope _and only that. _Merlin's beard, I'd forgotten. She's a _female_ as well. Great…just bloody great.

"Coming to bed anytime soon?" she asked with a true smile this time.

"In a second. Don't worry."

She raised her eyebrow for the second time this day. Damn her and her cuteness.

"Are you alright James? You're a bit quiet."

She sat on my lap and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. Really now, dissuading my male primitive instincts had been a difficult task to performed all those years we were at Hogwarts but I was hopeful that this wouldn't be an issue anymore now that we were two married adults. I hate being wrong.

"Actually, there is something bothering me, now that you mentioned it."

"Was there something wrong with the stew and you're not feeling fine?"

The overcooked beans, the salty soup and the strange green sauce came to mind but I didn't think it was the time.

"No, it was fantastic. I just wanted to ask you about the locket."

Her expression darkened and she just shrugged.

"I've already told you, it's an old locket I'd forgotten all about. That's all."

"I don't remember you wearing it often...or ever for that matter. "

"There you go. See? It's just an old gift. Now, let's go to bed please."

Any other man would be more than satisfied with this answer. Any other man would have skip towards the bedroom with his new wife and forget all about a stupid locket. Too bad my mother raised me to be unique.

"A gift? Who gave it to you?"

She turned and looked at me with a mix of sadness, pleading and fear. As if I'd just stab her or something as awful as that. It hurt me to see her like that but I needed to know. She was hiding me something and I wouldn't stand it. What could possibly be so horrible?

"Lily, please tell me. I won't be mad, I swear."

She sighed and took a sit next to me, facing the other way.

"Snape, for my 15th birthday," she answered in a barely audible whisper.

"Oh."

And that's pretty much all I could say. I was trying very hard to keep in control. Severus Snape. That greasy haired git. The man who hated me almost as much as he hated shampoo and whose sentiments were fully corresponded by yours truly. I was perfectly aware that the wanker and Lily had been on friendly terms back at Hogwarts but sometime before we started being, erm, civilized with each other, they'd seemed to overcome this phase to my great pleasure.

Now her answer only brought more questions to mind, but she seemed to have acknowledged this because she continued talking.

"It was back when we were friends, for lack of another word. You know he and I were on speaking terms back then."

"I was aware of that, but I wasn't aware that you were keeping presents from a Death Eater."

The words came out of my mouth before noticing them and I couldn't hide the bitterness in my tone. We were both surprised at my words but Lily's reaction astonished me just as much. She threw her arms around my neck and started sobbing on my shirt. I just made my wife cry. I deserve no mercy.

"Lils, I'm a prat. I'm an idiotic bastard who doesn't think with his head. I didn't mean it, please don't cry. I shouldn't have said that. Of course it's not how I feel in the least."

"You're none of those things, James. You're wonderful. I'm the one who's been a complete fool believing, well, very dumb things actually."

"You're not a fool. You're too pretty to be a fool. But you married me, so I guess you're a bit foolish. "

Lily looked up and laughed.

"Yes, I guessed so," she teased.

I hugged her again. I wanted to stay like that for ever but I knew better.

"Lily, what are these "foolish things" you believe? Can you tell me, please?"

She was no longer crying but her sadness felt almost as powerful. She hugged me tighter, as if she was ensuring I wouldn't leave her and with a soft tone she replied.

"Sometimes, not very often but sometimes I wonder if I could have done a bit more to prevent him into becoming one of them. I remember how it was, when he and I were friends, how smart he was and he was always nice to me. And then he went and started hanging around Avery, Nott, Mulciber and that lot. I even caught him meeting with Evan Rosier on the Hog's Head when we were in 4th year. I just…I think I always thought he could change but I guess it's too late."

Something very heavy was on my chest. This was his entire fault. That effing moron was the cause of my wife's unhappiness. I felt like cursing his worthless being through all England; hurting him like he was hurting my reason for living. But Lily, she didn't want to hear any of that.

"He chose this, you know? You chose the right path and he chose, well, the other way."

"I know. I told him so, James, back in fifth year. And I haven't regretted it ever since. It was his decision and I wouldn't dare on justifying him. I just wished there was a way…We have lost so many, all of them dead now. It's just odd to have lost someone who is still alive. "

There was a long silence and, for once in a blue moon, I knew exactly what I needed to say.

"Lily, Padfoot would probably turn me into pumpkin juice if he heard me telling you this but, I guess, perhaps it's not too late. You never know with that git."

My adoring redhead kissed me. All the weight on my chest suddenly lifted. I reckon this was like King Arthur pulling the Excalibur out of that rock. It seemed impossible but one small gesture by the right person made all the difference.

"You two might even be friends," she said grinning

"Fat chance. I think making out with the Giant Squid would be more likely."

She started laughing and I couldn't help but smiling.

"You're a great man, James Potter. That must be why I love you. "

"Yes, perhaps. That and my enchanting looks. "

"Of course, everyone knows I only married you for your awesome bum."

"You evil witch. Hey! You never told me what my gift was."

She winked at me, laughed harder and kissed me again. We finally ended up going to bed and spent our first night in the house but I shall spare the details. A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, after all.

Besides, this night was a lot more important. This was the night I realized I was capable of anything to make her happy. Even if my life was the price, I would never question it for an instant. Whatever it was, for her, it was worth it.


End file.
